2024

On Tuesday | April 30

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THE PROPHECY

READER

Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 2.

Psalm 129 (130).

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. [SAAS]

The reading is from the Prophecy of Ezekiel.

PRIEST

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Ezk 1:20-27

When the living creatures went, the wheels went; when the living creatures came to a stop, the wheels stopped; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up with them, for the spirit of life was in the wheels. The likeness above the heads of the living creatures was like a firmament, like the appearance of crystal, spread out over their wings above. Their wings were outspread underneath the firmament, clapping their wings one to the other, two wings joined to each, and two wings covering up their bodies. I heard the sound of their wings when they went, like the sound of much water; and when they stood still, their wings rested. Then behold, a voice came from above the firmament, above their head. There was as it were the appearance of a sapphire stone, and the likeness of a throne upon it. Upon the likeness of the throne there was as it were the appearance of a man above. Then I saw as it were the outward appearance of amber from the appearance of the waist and upward. From the appearance of the waist and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire with brightness round about. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the condition of the surrounding brightness. This was the vision of the likeness of the Lord’s glory. [SAAS]

Prokeimenon. Mode 4.

Psalm 130 (131).

Let Israel hope in the Lord from this present time and unto the ages.

O Lord, my heart is not exalted. [SAAS]

The Readings from Vespers

READER

Prokeimenon. Mode 3.

Psalm 131 (132).

Arise, O Lord, into Your rest, You and the ark of Your holiness.

Remember David, O Lord, and all his meekness. [SAAS]

The reading is from the book of Exodus.

DEACON

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Ex 2:5-10

Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, and her maidens walked along the riverside; and seeing the ark among the reeds, she sent a maid to get it. So when she opened the ark, she saw the child crying, and the daughter of Pharaoh had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” So Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” Then the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter then said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. Now when the boy was grown, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son; and she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.” [SAAS]

Prokeimenon. Mode 4.

Psalm 132 (133).

Behold now, what is so good or so pleasant as for brothers to dwell together in unity?

It is like fragrant oil running down upon the beard. [SAAS]

The reading is from the book of Job.

DEACON

Wisdom. Let us be attentive.

READER

Job 1:13-22

Now there was a day when Job’s sons and daughters were drinking wine in the house of their elder brother, and behold, a messenger came to Job and said, “The yokes of oxen were plowing, and the female donkeys were feeding beside them. Then raiders came and took them captive and killed the servants with the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said to Job, “Fire fell from heaven and burned up the sheep, and likewise consumed the shepherds; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “Horsemen formed three bands against us, surrounded the camels, took them captive, and killed the servants with the sword. I alone have escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine with their elder brother, and suddenly a great wind came from the desert and struck the four corners of the house; and it fell on your children, and they died; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved off the hair of his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped, saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. As it seemed good to the Lord, so also it came to pass. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all these things that happened, Job did not sin against the Lord or charge God with folly. [SAAS]

The Gospel

Holy and Great Tuesday

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.

24:36–51; 25:1–46; 26:1–2

The Lord said to his disciples, “Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of man. Then two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left. Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the householder had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with the drunken, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the hypocrites; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.’ When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of man will be delivered up to be crucified.” [RSV]

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The Readings for the Commemoration

Memory of the Holy Apostle Iakovos (James), the Brother of John the Theologian

The Epistle

For the Apostle.

The reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 12:1-11

About that time, Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword; and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the Church. The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison; and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Wrap your mantle around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him. And Peter came to himself, and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” [RSV]

The Gospel

For the Apostle.

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Luke.

Lk. 9:1-6

At that time, Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. [RSV]

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Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.

Synaxarion

From the Menaion.

On April 30 we commemorate the holy and glorious Apostle James, the brother of St. John the Theologian.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father Clement the ecclesiastical poet.

On this day we also commemorate the holy Martyr Maximus.

On this day we also commemorate the finding of the relics of the holy Hieromartyr Vasilefs, Bishop of Amasia.

On this day we also commemorate our father among the saints Donatus, Bishop of Euroia.

On this day the holy Neo-martyr Argyri, who confessed Christ in Constantinople and was tortured for it, died in prison in the year 1725.

From the Triodion.

On great and holy Tuesday, we commemorate the parable of the ten virgins from the holy Gospel.

Verses

The greatest of Tuesdays points to the Ten Virgins,

Who point to the victory of the impartial Master.

O Bridegroom Christ, number us with the wise virgins, and include us in Your chosen flock, and have mercy on us. Amen.

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Fasting Rule

Strict: Refrain from meat, fish, oil, dairy, and eggs.

It is Holy Week.